Anchorage, Alaska – Oct. 9, 2013 – A Palmer-based chimney service company is accused of accepting down payments, not performing any work and ignoring requests for refunds. Alaska Chimney Sweep has earned an “F” rating with Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington for a pattern of unanswered complaints.

Complainants allege that once deposits are paid, the business becomes unresponsive; one complainant said that she did not hear from the company for five months after placing her deposit and it took two weeks of phone-tag before she finally turned to BBB. So far in 2013, BBB has received five complaints, all of which have gone unanswered.

When hiring a chimney service company, don’t get swept by the wrong sweep:

Dis-mantel requests for “emergency” repairs; schemers have been known to smuggle debris into homes to convince homeowners that chimneys are in poor condition and require expensive fixes.

Consider choosing a chimney service company that is Chimney Safety Institute of America certified; this certification is not required by law but is recommended by most fire departments.

Better Business Bureau serving Alaska, Oregon and Western Washington: This BBB is one of 114 bureaus in North America and the largest BBB by geographical service area. BBB is a neutral not-for-profit organization committed to trust in the marketplace. For more information on ethical business standards and BBB Accreditation, or to access free BBB Business Reviews, Charity Reviews, scam alerts or find local event information, contact BBB or visit bbb.org.